Firearms generate heat from the detonation of explosive charge in the chamber of the firearm to eject a projectile from a cartridge in the chamber. The typically large quantities of heat generated by firearms, particularly in their repeated use, may heat the chamber, barrel and other parts of the firearm to exceedingly high temperature. These high temperatures may cause temporary thermal expansion of the barrel and other firearm components, adversely impacting thermodynamic and structural stability and potentially compromising the accuracy of the firearm. Moreover, extreme thermal loading of firearm components may damage the components and render necessary their repair or replacement. Therefore, depending on the number of rounds which were fired from the firearm, waiting for an interval of 10-30 minutes or more may be necessary for the barrel of the firearm to return to the original starting temperature of the barrel by dissipation of heat to the ambient air.
Accordingly, firearm cooling apparatuses and methods which facilitate significant and rapid cooling of a firearm after its use may be desirable for some applications.